No worries, we have other targets.
As long as we don't start the season with Miggy-or Murphy as first choice. Neither are remotely good enough as starters for where we want to be.
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No worries, we have other targets.
As long as we don't start the season with Miggy-or Murphy as first choice. Neither are remotely good enough as starters for where we want to be.
Yes indeed Zipaldinho.
Who ever comes in and goes we need to see a first teamer who is gonna make that major improvement in the metrics of the Right wing position. We had a nice patch where Bruno, Longstaff and Miggy really clicked but it was shorted lived.
We have to put that down to the weak links in the chain. Miggy being the chewing gum link of the 3 and Longstaff being severely under par whilst carrying an injury most of the season, his performances at time boarding on unacceptable.
The reason top top teams win and grind out results even when they play badly, it's due to the tiny margins in quality that allow them to steal an inch here or a step there, beat a man to the cross or get a toe on an interception or place the ball a few degrees wider of the goal keeper and it slides past for the crucial winning goal.
Sadly we are deficient in some of the important areas of the pitch at those critical moments. No one can carry a team game in game out. When Bruno has an off day others need to stand up.
Those are the players we need to bring in.
Just made me think of Ratcliffe there and his marginal gains claims…sorry!!
Which then made me think about his INEOS cycling team… that thing where they travelled with their own pillows is now starting to sound more like his penny pinching tactics than optimising their sleep comfort XD
Marginal gains in his bank account!!!
That's a very good point about other players stepping up.
We need 'big game mentality' in the squad (to be fair, I think Tonali probably has that). The sort of player who would have banged heads together to stop the collapse against Liverpool at home or who would have stopped the rot against Forest or helped turn a couple of those rotten draws into wins.
If anything, I'm more keen to see the 'Miggy off' part resolved.
Similar to Wilson and Long staff, I think Miggy highlights Eddie's biggest weakness -his loyalty to certain players. It seems a strange thing to criticise, in a way, as you need a manager to be loyal to his players to develop trust within the squad but backing players who are clearly not up to the task (which, imo, Miggy isn't) becomes obstinate and counter-productive.
Aye - agreed Zip.
His loyalty is great - to a point. However, when it is impacting us because he won't be ruthless. . . .
I've mentioned it on other threads and I agree Zips. My comment "Wilson will get Eddie Howe sacked".
The need for player/squad availability is most important. The likes of City under Pep, Chelsea Under Mourinho squads were mostly available. We need to ensure our top players are on the pitch and that the backups are fit and ready to share the load to protect the legs on the like of Isak etc to maximise our potential to win matches.